23This started as one very long chapter. I have split it into two, one short below and the other 14 pages. These two chapters will close out the first season of SG-1, and with it I will end the Walter Story for now. I might start another thread in the future, but we will just have to see.
I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far.
posted 20jan2021
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The stargate discovered in Antarctica was still being extracted from the ice, Col O'Neill and Capt Carter had recovered, and SG-1 had been sent through the gate. As seems to happen to them, the trip did not go as planned. Walter had been working in his office when they returned, but had been told all about their apparent change of uniforms.
He later heard that the team had been confined as they were imposters.
This would be the second time a faux Col O'Neill had returned through the gate in so many months, and this time his entire team had been replaced.
Turns out they were machines, androids, that had been given a transplant of their consciousness. They each thought they were still the original, but were just copies with the memories, feelings, and personalities of the originals.
After their apparent power source began to fail, they were sent back through the gate, the actual SG-1 later returned unharmed.
And again, Walter had to hear about the missions second hand. This was because the General needed him to compile the last three months of reports for some political somebody who had been read into the program.
This afternoon, one week after that incident, SG-1 had been sent to P3R-233. The probe had shown it to be an interior structure, a complex that might have been used for storage and possibly abandoned. the team had been gone for less than twenty minutes before Col O'Neill called back and requested additional teams to help search for a missing archeologist. After almost four hours of searching, the team had only just returned. Dr. Jackson had an injury to his right arm from a staff weapon and was telling anyone who would listen that they were in trouble, the Goa'uld are on their way.
Dr. Jackson believed he had somehow been transported to an alternate reality and only just survived an attack on Earth. In that attack the Goa'uld had destroyed most of the major cities and taken over the SGC, there called the SGA. He was adamant that we needed to prepare for an inevitable attack from space.
Add to this, Walter was now tasked to deal with an inbound DV, a Senator Kinsey, the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. The Senator was holding a hearing on the SGC and its continued operations. It seems he was less than impressed with the cost of the program which the Committee had listed as area 52, fully against the secretive nature of the SGC. He was also going to be accompanied by the newly promoted Lt Col Samuels, originally the executive officer to General Hammond, now at the Pentagon as an analyst on the gate program.
Lt Col Samuels was already topside and on his way down, the Senator would be here at 1400.
Walter handed off his station to the Sergeant on duty, and dashed off to his office to ensure all the files and reports were in order. It was already known that the Senator was not a fan of the program, and he was one of only a few people who were in a position to back or end the SGC. Walter would not allow any of Senator Kinsey's animosity to be a result of his work.
When fourteen hundred came and went, SG-1 assembled with Col O'Neill and Capt Carter in their dress blues, Teal'c in a blue flight-suit, and Dr. Jackson in his uniform and arm in a sling, the Senator was still not even on the base. Seems punctuality was not important to the Senator.
Walter's phone rang, he reached out to answer with, "Control Room, MSgt Harriman."
"This is the front gate," the voice on the line stated, "The VIP has cleared the first checkpoint and will be there in twenty minutes."
Walter did the basic calculation, the speed of the elevators and distance and agreed with, "Thank you Airman."
Hanging up the phone, Walter left the Sergeant on duty to report to the General. The tension in the room was thick, all the members in some state of movement. Col O'Neill was fidgeting in his chair, Dr. Jackson pacing in the back of the room, Capt Carter was standing on the back wall adjusting and straightening wrinkles that only she could see in her jacket and skirt. Only Teal'c seemed his usual stoic self. Walter assumed it was because he didn't really understand how this situation could affect the SGC.
Knocking on the General's door, "Sir, the Senator's has cleared the gate, I estimate twenty minutes."
"Thank you Sergeant."
Walter returned to the Control room. SG-2 was scheduled to return in thirty-five minutes, and he had to catch them since the General was going to be tied up with the Senator, and 3PA-917 was expected to have a solid mineral deposit, one which he might be able to get to the General to help out with the hearing about to start.
From his station, Walter could hear some of the exchanges between the members of SG-1 as they continued to wait. The Colonel even admitting he would rather be in a fire fight than dealing with politicians. He also heard the Colonel's exchange with Dr. Jackson, telling him to hold back on expressing his "knowledge" about an inbound attack, when the Senator finally arrived.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize," the new voice stated to the room, "A certain congressman who will go nameless just does not know how to take NO for an answer."
Introductions took place, and Walter could hear the sounds of everyone up there settling into their chairs.
Walter could hear the exchanges, which started off almost civil, between the blowhard congressman and the team assembled upstairs. It did not take long before Col O'Neill could be heard, his voice rising with his anger, at one point offering to send the Senator to P4A-771, the planet where the team had been under attack almost as soon as they got there. It was the planet which led to Col O'Neill and Capt Carter accidentally getting sent to the gate which had been in Antarctica.
Walter smirked at the idea of some politician trying to talk his way out of an attack by a Jaffa, or out of the clutches of some Goa'uld.
As the people upstairs continued to "discuss" the future of the SGC, the gate began to activate at the appointed time for SG-2 to return. The gate lit up, the standard explosive burst of the blue event horizon whooshing out and then returning to the gate. The four man team, now led by the medically cleared Maj Ferritti, appearing two-by-two as they crossed past the threshold to go down the ramp.
Walter was standing by the hallway door, directing the team to check in to the infirmary, telling Maj Warner there would be an informal debrief immediately after they were cleared.
Walter went back up to the Control room, sitting in the position for the OIC, or Officer in Charge, as he had been directed to do by the General. From this seat, he could no longer overhear what was being discussed upstairs, but the volume of the voices still carried, and those tones did not bode well for the program.
Walter, hearing the deep voice of Teal'c carrying down the stairs, unable to make out his words, decided he needed to change his position. Walking over to his usual chair, Walter relieved the Sergeant sitting at Walter's usual spot, and sat down to type on the keyboard. The keys he struck were just for show, making it seem as he was busy with his hands while he strained to hear what they were discussing upstairs.
He wished now he had just stayed where he had been.
The Senator had brought up Maj Kowalski. Walter's mind returned to that day, the events playing in his thoughts even as Col O'Neill and the Senator were discussing the actions of that day. Walter found himself rubbing and holding his left hand, the one Kowalski, or more accurately the Goa'uld that had possessed Maj Kowalski, had almost broken. That was not a day Walter needed a reminder of.
Suddenly the conversation moved to the myriad of diseases the teams had run across, starting with the touched virus. Just thinking about that day made Walter want to sneeze, a reflex to his now beloved allergies which had kept him clear of the illness because of his anti-histamine drugs. He did kind of wish he would have had access to a camera that day, pictures of some of his co-workers under the influence of the virus with additional hair growth. Many of them took on entirely new looks.
The subject matter shifted, focusing on Col O'Neill and his contact with the Nanocytes. The Senator seemed to be taking some form of pleasure as he reminded the Colonel of his brush with senility, as he further seemed to justify his attitude towards the dangerous nature of the stargate program. He further tried to lay blame on Capt Carter for almost losing containment on the micro-machines in the SGC.
The Senator went on to liken SG-1 to children playing with fire in their attitudes towards the gate. Walter could hear the Senator as he callously ignored or disregarded the comments of SG-1 and General Hammond, his voice gaining volume with each attack.
At his peak, the Senator could be heard by almost the entire Control room as he stated, "I'm sorry General but your 'Best' is not good enough."
The Senator continued with, "I do not approve or, nor support this endeavor. And I have heard nothing here today that would change my mind." After a pregnant pause he concluded, "I intend to shut the stargate down."
You could hear a pin drop in the room.
The sounds of chairs getting moved, briefcases closing, and then people leaving could be heard. Suddenly the voice of Dr. Jackson carried down to Walter as he spun his tale of the coming invasion. Capt Carter did step up and try to help him, but even she did not sound convinced of her own story. Not surprisingly, the Senator chalked it up to a feeble final attempt to stop him from closing the doors on the program.
As Walter heard the Senator make it clear the program was done, he needed to step away for a minute. Going out to the hallway, Walter was able to see the official party make the turn to the elevators that would take them out of the complex. Walter was suddenly filled with a strong sense of dread, wondering how this one man could be in a position to destroy the program, and how that same man could be stupid enough to believe it was right to do so.
Not sure why, Walter continued to follow the group as they moved toward the elevators. As one they stopped, a Captain pressing the call button as the Senator seemed to be fuming. Each of the four officers and the Senator stood in their positions, the officers all mirrors of the Senator's actions. As he fidgeted or straightened, so did they. It seemed as if they were each seeking his attention or approval as a small child would, through imitation.
As he was about to walk away, Lt Col Samuel must have seen him and called out, "Sergeant Harrison," getting his name wrong as he always seemed to, "A word."
Debating whether to ignore or comply, Walter was aware that now the Senator was looking his way, and decided to answer.
"Yes sir," Walter said as he drew near.
"Senator," Lt Col Samuel stated, "This is the sergeant that got the reports and files together for our visit." A sarcastic smile now splayed clearly on his face that only Walter could see.
"Really now," Senator Kinsey said, "Very thorough work there," pausing as he looked at the name tag, "Sergeant Harriman."
After a moment he added, "Now that this black hole of a money pit is shut down, I could get you a transfer to Washington." Looking Walter in the eye, full politician mode clearly visible on his face, "A man of your talents could be an asset in that town."
Not sure what to say, but knowing that laughing in the Senator's face would be a bad career move, Walter opted with, "Thank you sir, but I think Washington would be a bad fit for me." To many people like you there, he wanted to add.
"You should think it through," The Senator continued, "It could do wonders for your career."
"No sir," Walter finished flatly, "I don't think it would."
Already angry, the Senator leaned in, stating so only Walter could hear, "You don't want to push this. I am not a man you want against you."
The threat clear, the elevator doors opened and the Senator added loudly as he stepped in, "Think about it."
Walter returned to the Control room, the threat from the Senator still ringing in his ear. Shaking his head, remembering his post, he went to see the General. He had been told earlier to check in after the meeting.
"Sergeant," General Hammond said as Walter reached his door, "The meeting did not go well. We are in essence, shut down."
"Should I call out to SG-5 and 7 to tell them to return?"
"Not just yet, Walter," The General replied using his first name for the first time. "I still have the President's permission to let them complete their assigned tasks before a recall."
"I understand."
"Dismissed."
The air heavy with regret and uncertainty, Walter returned to the Control room and an unclear future.